Ventric Health study shows primary care tool can identify hidden heart failure cases

Primary care tool could identify hidden heart failure: ©Ventric Health

Ventric Health, a medical technology company specializing in early heart failure detection, announced new findings showing its Vivio System, when paired with a symptom questionnaire, accurately identified patients with undiagnosed heart failure during routine primary care visits.

The study, published in the current issue of JACC: Advances, involved screening more than 2,000 high-risk patients over age 65 with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. Researchers used the Vivio System to non-invasively measure left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), the gold standard for diagnosing heart failure. Of the patients screened, 38.5% had elevated LVEDP, and nearly a quarter of those showed substantial symptoms when assessed using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire.

“In an average of five minutes and in one visit, PCPs can now accurately diagnose and assess the burden of heart failure in high-risk patients,” said Thomas Cheek, chief medical officer at Ventric Health.

Historically, LVEDP measurements required invasive hospital-based catheterization, limiting accessibility. The Vivio System allows for fast, non-invasive testing in a primary care setting using a blood pressure cuff, ECG, and proprietary algorithm. It is FDA-cleared and designed to detect heart failure early—before a patient’s symptoms lead to emergency room visits or hospitalizations.

The study also found that women were more likely than men to be newly diagnosed, underscoring prior findings of delayed heart failure diagnoses in women.

“Through earlier disease identification, we are helping the healthcare system better control the high and growing costs of heart failure,” Cheek said.

To date, more than 15,000 Vivio System tests have been performed, with practices reporting earlier diagnoses, fewer hospital visits, and improved patient outcomes, according to the company.

Primary care at the forefront of heart failure detection

Heart failure continues to be a major public health concern, with millions of Americans affected and health care costs projected to rise sharply over the next decade. Early detection and management are essential to reducing hospitalizations, improving patient quality of life, and preventing disease progression. Increasingly, innovations in diagnostics are pushing the boundaries of what can be done in a primary care setting.

Traditionally, f failure diagnosis has relied heavily on symptom reporting, echocardiograms, or invasive cardiac catheterization—methods often performed too late in the disease process. Non-invasive tools that assess biomarkers or hemodynamic changes are emerging as faster, more accessible alternatives. These technologies enable earlier risk stratification and targeted management, which is especially important for high-risk populations such as older adults, patients with diabetes, or those with chronic kidney disease.

In addition to device-based diagnostics, there has been a shift toward integrating validated patient-reported outcomes, like the KCCQ-12, into clinical workflows. These questionnaires help assess quality of life and symptom burden, providing a more complete picture of a patient’s heart health beyond what lab results or imaging might show.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also playing a growing role, helping primary care physicians interpret complex data and prioritize patients for cardiology referrals or intervention. Coupled with telehealth and remote monitoring tools, these advances are transforming heart failure from a condition primarily managed in hospitals to one that can increasingly be addressed at the frontlines of care.

By bringing more precise diagnostic tools to primary care, the health care system is better equipped to deliver earlier interventions, improve outcomes, and lower the long-term costs associated with heart failure.